About
World Wide Aquarium & Pets has anchored the edge of Philadelphia for decades, a family-owned shop where one longtime customer says they've been buying feeder mice for over 40 years. It runs as a full-spectrum pet store, but the aquatic department is what pulls fishkeepers in from well past the neighborhood, and it's the reason locals treat this as a genuine aquarium store rather than just another pet shop. The freshwater wall is the heart of it.
Reviewers turn up Chili Rasboras here — a micro fish that's tough to find anywhere else — along with neon tetras, cherry shrimp, and axolotls for sale in Philadelphia, PA. Live plants come highly rated, with more than one customer reporting standout growth weeks after planting. Saltwater fish are stocked for reef and marine keepers too, and the shelves carry the driftwood, spider wood, rocks, and equipment you need to build a tank from scratch.
One first-time buyer came in for a birthday fish without realizing a tank needs to cycle; the staff gently corrected the misunderstanding and sent them home with a setup that's still going strong months later. Beyond fish, the place is a small menagerie. Snakes, turtles, tortoises, frogs, lizards, leopard geckos, and small mammals share the floor with feeder rodents and terrarium supplies, plus harder asks like isopods and springtails for a bioactive vivarium.
Staff named Tyler and Brendan get called out repeatedly for patient, no-pressure help, and the shop will special-order an animal and call you when it arrives. It isn't flawless — several visitors wish the display tanks were kept cleaner, and phone manner can be brisk. But the in-store experience is what wins people over: fair prices that match the big chains, uncommon livestock, and real conversation about the hobby.
For Philadelphia aquarists wanting a locally owned alternative to PetSmart and Petco, World Wide is worth the drive.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at World Wide Aquarium & Pets in Philadelphia, PA
World Wide Aquarium & Pets stocks tetras, shrimp, axolotls, invertebrates, rare and hard-to-find species, aquarium plants and freshwater & saltwater fish for sale in Philadelphia, PA. As an aquarium store serving Philadelphia, PA, it also carries dry goods and aquarium equipment and offers aquarium consultations.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Hard-to-find freshwater nano fish like Chili Rasboras, plus cherry shrimp and axolotls
- Strong live-plant selection, with customers reporting standout growth after planting
- Patient, no-pressure staff (Tyler and Brendan named repeatedly) who walk beginners through tank cycling and setup
- Deep reptile and exotics range — leopard geckos, snakes, turtles, plus isopods and springtails for bioactive vivariums
- Family-owned Philadelphia shop with fair prices and a special-order/notify service for specific animals
From keepers
Customer reviews
“It was 5 and below pool selection Lol”
— Honey Bunny3.06 days ago“Great pet store”
— Dawn Boone5.0Edited 4 weeks ago“Daughter asked for a fish for her birthday, and I told her she had to feed our cats for months to prove she could take care of a pet on her own. Took her here on her birthday. I had done a lot of research about what fish would be good for a beginner, but didn't have a clue about the need to "cycle" the tank. Thankfully, the staff gently pointed me in the right direction, corrected my misunderstandings, and set me up with what I needed to get the fish in the tank that day. That was 2.5 months ago, and the tank is going strong.”
— Kale Good5.0a month ago“Place seemed very small but got rave reviews online. The fish tanks and the aquarium area were dirty and very unkept. They could definitely be cleaning out the tanks in the area where the fish are. It would make the place look a lot nicer. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable very poor selection of bettas.”
— Linda Smith2.0a month ago“Friendly staff and very helpful”
— Hector D. Ortiz5.02 months ago“Ultimately my favorite pet store. Staff are welcoming, friendly and very knowledgeable especially about exotic pets like snakes, turtles, axolotls and different lizards. I highly recommend this place especially if you feed your snakes live rodents”
— Azalia Graham5.0Edited 2 months ago“St. God, this place is closing and is going our business. This store is so dirty gross. I won't get it to help. People have great reviews with this place. But I have read some other reviews when I left. This property, I felt so discrimination. People in their super rude, the ones at work there. You play on your phones. It looks like you do nothing in your store. You can't clean your store. I get it, I have retail for 25 years. At least show some respect for the customers. If people are coming in to try to buy your products when you're going out, business, share some respect, it's your loss at your business is closing. And I feel bad for the fish and the animals in here. It's in such poor condition. Maybe in the time the place was nice and clean. But now it's just collected fantast and dirt and dead animals. I felt like I walked into a tax attorney store”
— Brianna Poison1.03 months ago“I highly recommend this place! I had to get isopods and springtails for my bio-active vivarium. The two young guys working there were extremely friendly and helpful. You can tell the staff there really cares about the animals they sell. Lots of good products as well with fair prices.”
— Mick Vaughan5.03 months ago“I bought lots and lots of fish here and they are always in great shape and condition 95 percent of my fishes are still alive after 6 years and my two lizards are in great shape growing and strong ... They got a great selection aswell !”
— Chris Lopez4.03 months ago“Nice fish store”
— Thomas Russo4.04 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (215) 482-8700 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting World Wide Aquarium & Pets.